Finally America decided that he at least had to do ... something. He could not just sit still and twiddle his thumbs while his twin brother went through this. So even if it was a more or less desperate task. He went out knocking doors ...
He brought printouts of everything he would need, the picture of Canada, the textes, everything. And he was prepared for a long day out as he walked up to the first door and rang the bell.
While America waited for who ever the nation that was who lived in the house that he had decided to knock on first, he made himself ready by picking up the papers from his pocket and read them again - and look at the picture of his poor brother, asleep, or in the worst case unconscious and with his hands tied behind his back. In an unknown cellar. America awoke from his daydreams by a sharp female voice that actually made him jump back.
"What do you want?" America looked up and involuntarily gasped when he realized who lived in this house.
"Vietnam?" America desperately tried to think of something good to say, Vietnam was not so keen on him after the last time they had met, and he knew that very well, at the same time, he had promised himself to ask everyone if they knew anything about Canada so it was just as good to get it over with. "Well ..." America did not understand why it was so hard to get the words right now, it was first when Vietnam had got enough of waiting for an answer to her question about what he wanted to her and made a gesture to close the door that he managed to get out of what has happened...
"Okay, so your brother is kidnapped and you want my help to find him?" Vietnam summarized Americas sob story. "Give me a reason!" She cried out before America even had got time to think about an answer, "After what you've done to me? How dare you?" America made no attempt to explain himself, he just held up the picture of Canada in that basement in front of her.
"Please, look at this picture and see if you understand more of it than I do!" he begged. He actually begged her for help, in fact, he was even surprised himself.
Vietnam slammed the door in his face. Believing America to be the biggest idiot in the world history. In her anger Vietnam kicked a chair so that it ended up four feet away from the place where it first stood. She could not understand why she would help America find Canada and she was actually disgusted over the image America had got the audacity to show her. As if she had not seen enough of that because of him...
Suddenly Vietnam felt ashamed over herself, she had seen enough of that ... it was just what she had persuaded herself, but the thought came up with her conscience. No one deserved what Canada had got this time.
She looked out the window, America was on his way to the next house but he was still within earshot. Vietnam opened the door and called after him.
"America! Come back... Can I have Another look at your picture... I think I saw something" America stopped and looked back at Vietnam.
"Are you serious?" he asked, as if he could not believe his ears. "Do you want to help me?"
"I guess..." she replied without meeting his eyes. America came closer but stayed below the stairs, at first, it was best to stay on good terms with those who could possibly help him.
"Can I come in?" he asked.
"Yes ..." Vietnam replied and went in before him. "But do not touch anything!" she added before America even had entered the house.
Vietnam took the picture of Canada and looked at it more carefully, trying to see anything, she would say it directly if she did, she promised herself that. Then she would at least have a clear conscience.
"Can you see what it says on the boxes in the background?" America asked remembering Canada's message about an alphabet he could not read. Vietnam looked closer, lifted the image to the light and tried to read, but it was too small.
Luckily Vietnam had a magnifying glass. She fetched it and looked a little closer. America watched her with growing hope. She might know something about the alphabet, to him it had only looked asian.
"It is written in Japanese" she explained and returned the picture. America could not believe his ears. Japanese?
"Are you sure?" He asked to be on the safe side but Vietnam did not hesitate.
"It's Japanese" she repeated. "And not only that, I know that several things in the picture belongs to Japan, there's no doubt about it. Canada is in Japan"